HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Hundreds of community members lined the streets of West Ninth and Virginia to watch the annual Veterans Day Parade in Hopkinsville and honor all who have served. Marching in the parade included the Christian County Tiger Band, Army JROTC, first responders, military veterans and more.
Following the parade, a ceremony was held outside the Christian County Justice Center. Led by the Director of Southwestern KY Military Affairs and Army veteran of over 20 years Shannon Lane, the ceremony commemorated all past and present men and women who have served in the military.
“For more than 250 years, whenever our nation has faced a time of need, Americans have answered the call,” Lane said. “All defenders have placed our nation, our freedoms and the wellbeing of others above themselves.”
Lane said that Veterans Day is about celebrating service, honoring sacrifices and acknowledging the commitment they made to something greater than themselves. A proclamation was read by Hopkinsville Mayor James R. Knight Jr. and Christian County Judge Executive Jerry Gilliam, commemorating Nov. 11 as a day of observance for all veterans.
A few awards were given during the ceremony for outstanding service. The JROTC Challenge Winner was awarded to the Christian County Tigers. This year’s School Most Participation Award was given to Indian Hills Elementary and the Spirit Award was given to Sts. Peter and Paul School.
“We want to thank everyone for coming out to celebrate all veterans and their families,” VFW Post 1913 Commander John Brame said.
Lane concluded the ceremony with a few remarks about the sacrifices of our veterans, “The uniform may come off, the deployments may end, and the years may pass, but the commitment to serve something greater than oneself never truly disappears.”
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